Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti!” Sophia Loren really had it right all along. I mean, Pasta always wins, right?

Growing up the only way I ever liked eating meat was when it was ground up in a rich tomato sauce over a big plate of pasta. I loved it so much that once I became an adult it was basically the only thing I taught myself how to cook. And I cooked it a lot.

Once I finally decided that meat was just not my thing I just omitted it from my famous pasta recipe and I became the Spaghetti Marinara Queen. Still just as lovely but I do have to admit every time I’d read a menu and see Spaghetti Bolognese a piece of my childhood wimpered. I’ll never forget how delicious it was and I am SO so so glad I could create a plant based alternative to that dish so close in flavor and texture that my husband actually thought I’d gone rougue and cooked meat. This one will fool even your most meat obsessed family and friends.

What that means for you? Plant Based Paradise. A place where you can eat all your childhood favorites without harming any animals or any arteries for that matter. Catch my drift? Make extra.

Luckily for me and my pasta loving waistline, Banza Pasta is made from Chickpeas so I basically eat as much as I want without having to worry about anything except making sure my cabinets are fully stocked with all the Banza Pasta a girl could dream of. This was my first time trying the Banza Spaghetti and HOLY MOLY, you guys!! If this doesn’t prove that healthy alternatives are taking over the world, I dont know what will. It is SO perfect that you’ll never want to eat another kind of pasta again. If you see Banza at your grocery store, do yourself a favor and STOCK UP!

Since the Banza people are the coolest people they’ve offered my readers a 25% off discount code just in case you cant find this magical spaghetti in your stores. Just go to eatbanza.com and use code greensandfries at checkout for your 25% OFF on a box of 6! You’re welcome friends!

I developed this recipe the same way I do most of my recipes. I read recipes for the authentic versions of what I want to make and just customize them with plant based ingredients. That’s the trick but the biggest secret you need to know for this recipe is to really let each layer cook down together before adding in the next layer. That’s how you get the amazing depth of flavor and meatiest texture in the sauce. You just want to be patient and allow everything to really meld together and you’ll be so glad you did. This sauce really tastes like it’s been slow cooking in an Italian kitchen for hours and hours and that’s authentically how it should be. Let’s get cooking!!

2. While your onions are sauteing, throw your carrots in a food processor and pulse until they are diced into very small pieces. Add those to the skillet with the onions and stir well. Allow to cook down until the carrots and onions become soft.

3. While the carrots and onions are cooking add walnuts to the food processor and pulse a few times to a small dice. Then add mushrooms and pulse again together until they form a very fine dice but not complete mush. You want to keep some texture. Think ground meat sized.

4. Add your mushroom and walnut mixture to the pan and stir well. Allow to sit and cook to brown nicely without stirring around too much.

5. Once your mushrooms have cooked down and browned, deglaze the pan with 1 tbsp liquid aminos/soy sauce. Then add tomato paste and season with all your spices, salt & pepper. Stir well and allow that to cook down again for a few minutes.

6. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes and all the liquid to the pan. Turn heat down to low simmer.

7. Add 1 cup of vegetable broth and 1 cup of non-dairy milk and stir well. Cover and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes.

8. While your sauce is simmering you can cook your pasta according to the package instructions.